A Perfect Life
by Nelson Bannaba
Summary: After a wish on the Shikon jewel, Sango had all she'd ever hoped for. Why was it not enough? Oneshot, InuSan, MirSan.


_Disclaimer: I do not own or make any profit from the characters of the Inuyasha series._

_Warning: Language and mild sexual content. _

_This was written for IYFlashfic, a livejournal community. It's a great community with lots of wonderful fanfiction. You should check it out.The assigned pairing was Inuyasha/Sango, but there is also a little Miroko/Sango. _

_x x x x_

Sango had never been sentimental as far as weddings were concerned. She did not waste much time as a young girl dreaming of marriage and handsome young beaus. She had been far too busy honing her skills as a taijiya in attempt to please her demanding father. For a woman to become strong enough and fight ably against a youkai, she had to work twice as hard as any man. That alone had left Sango with little time for frivolous pursuits.

So there she stood, all but suffocating under the many layers of her wedding kimono and feeling as if her headdress would tumble off at any moment, which would only confirm to the members of her wedding party that she indeed had no softer, feminine side.

"Why are you marrying that drifter, the Monk? I wanted better for you, Sango." Her father's silhouette appeared in the doorway.

Sango merely gritted her teeth, trying to force a smile.

"I've heard of his reputation, if you can call it that. Sango, I just can't understand why," he shook his head and turned away from her.

There was no way for him to understand how he had fought valiantly at her side against a common enemy, his dark hair tossing in the wind and his eyes bright with excitement. But it did not really matter. She had her family back and the next step was to marry the man she loved. She never expected to achieve true happiness, but now her life seemed to be barreling towards it at breakneck speed.

It was strange to watch all the pieces falling into place – her father, Kohaku, her brothers, Miroku – all fitting nicely into the holes their absence had left in her heart.

Her family slipped back into her life as easily as if they had never been absent at all. Miroku had asked her to marry him. The only one who did not seem to fit was her.

She pushed her headdress carefully back into place, wishing she could as easily push these nagging thoughts from her mind.

x x x x

Sango stood on the outskirts of Edo and hesitated. She twisted the soft material of her obi, wringing her hands fretfully.

The last time she had been in Edohad been over a year ago and Kagome had also been there. She remembered how pale her face had been as she stood near the edge of the well, preparing to make her wish. Inuyasha and Miroku were there as well, but the hanyou turned away as her tears began to fall.

Kagome wished on the completed Shikon jewel for all of Naraku's evils to be undone, for the world to exist as if the evil youkai had never existed. It was a wish they had all agreed upon – it seemed a win-win situation for all.

But Kagome smiled tightly, trying unsuccessfully to blink away her tears as she said farewell to her friends.

Sango stared at the empty spot where her friend had stood just seconds before. No one was able to traverse the well again after that, though she was certain that Inuyasha must have tried. The look on his eyes was empty as she said her own goodbyes.

_After all, he had just received another chance at love._

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that thought. What a bitter joke it had become for him. Just as her family was alive, so was Kikyo. But she had apparently just spent fifty blank years living in limbo.

Kaede had sent word for her to come. The old Miko tried to explain Inuyasha's and Kikyo's dilemna, but Sango didn't believe it until she saw the two of them stepping out of the hut together.

Inuyasha supported the decrepit woman with his right arm. She leaned towards Sango and whispered, "Have you come to slay this cursed youkai? He keeps me prisoner, you see." The old woman's eyes sparkled with malice and Sango stepped back involuntarily.

She realized now how painful it must be for Inuyasha to have her back now, when she was so close to the end of her life. Even a wish on the Shikon couldn't change the fact that he had been _without_ Kikyo those fifty years. It gave her life, not false memories. It was a confusing distinction, but an important one. Kohaku, she had quickly realized, shared the same problem. His memories seemed to have ended just before the point when Naraku entered their lives. When she once asked him if he could remember anything about his time with Naraku, his eyes glazed over and he shook his head violently. Of course, he had not been whole during that time, a tainted shard had given him artificial life.

When she'd asked her father about his memories of the 'between time', his reaction hadn't been so dramatic. He only smiled and stated that his memory was not as good as it used to be.

x x x x

That evening, she tended Inuyasha's wound, asking why he hadn't allowed Kaede to help him. He grunted, mumbling something about not needing anyone's help. She almost smiled at this. It was so like the Inuyasha she remembered. She would never regret the changes brought on by Kagome's wish, but it was comforting that he had not changed.

"So where's that pervert husband of yours?"

"He's with his father," she answered simply. "Now will you at least tell me what happened?"

"It was an arrow," he answered vaguely.

"Who shot you with an arrow, Inuyasha," protective anger began rising in her chest.

"No one shot me."

"Inuyasha..." Hadn't she just thought it was _nice_ that he hadn't changed? "Spit it out."

"Kikyo stabbed me with an arrow. I don't know where she found it."

"Go on," she prodded, a sick feeling twisting her gut, "explain to me why your wound is not healing."

"She still has her powers, you know, even if her mind is gone," he answered gruffly.

Sango nodded as she pulled the dressing from the badly infected wound. Maybe she didn't want to hear the story after all.

Perhaps trading insults had loosened his tongue, for he began to talk freely. "So she stabbed me with it one day. She sometimes strikes out when she gets disoriented, which wasn't a problem until she found that arrow," Inuyasha flinched as she began cleaning the wound, "it didn't heal properly because it was laced with her purification energies, that's all. It's just a scratch."

"Hurt much," Sango asked as she prodded the reddened area around the hole.

He let out a string of curses but didn't move, "just put something on it so I won't feel like crap anymore."

Sango raised her hand to his forehead. His skin felt cool and smooth beneath her hand. "You don't have a fever."

"Oh yeah, well I must have been mistaken. I feel just fine bitch," he huffed, pulling back out of her reach.

"I didn't mean it that way, jerk. Now sit back and let me finish," Sango snickered. It was so difficult for some males to admit to being in pain and this wound must have been festering for a long time, judging by the rotten smell.

"She sometimes screams obscenities out of the window of the hut at passing villagers. Her latest is, 'he's rapes me and trying to make me his demon whore'. But occasionally she has times when she remembers me and…," he trailed off.

"Sometimes I catch myself wondering if she'll die soon," he looked away.

Sango received word the next year of Kikyo's death. That same year, her father died unexpectedly. She remembered how he'd clutched his arm as if bothered him the night before he died. She wished now that she had ignored his pride and asked him about it. She worried that he had been in a lot of pain.

Sango had forgotten that even without a great evil in the world, that there still existed sadness, grief, sickness, and even death. Funny that it hurt just as badly the second time her father died. But there were differences. The finality of his death left a void in her heart that she could no longer fill up with anger or the desire for vengeance. There was nothing she possessed now that could fill the old-new hole in her heart and so it remained empty.

As she held her infant daughter in her arms that night, pressing her snugly against her chest, it was if there was a shield between the two of them preventing the child's warmth from reaching her. Her arms felt cold and heavy. For weeks, Sango bore this strange detachment in silence until she forgot how it felt to be any other way.

x x x x

Inuyasha showed up the following year. Sango ran out to greet him, gripping the sides of his haori and grinning up at him, "don't you ever wash this thing?"

He stepped back, a little taken aback at first by her familiarity, but despite this he had ready comeback.

"You just wish you were still out there slaying monsters instead of at home washing Miroku's underclothes," he gave her a half-smile.

"It's good to see you Inuyasha."

"Oh yeah, well where's Miroku?"

She lowered her eyes, but her smile did not fade completely, "He hasn't been around…in awhile. It's a long story."

"Didn't want to see that bastard anyway," he grumbled, "got anything to eat." He sniffed, glancing in the direction of her hut.

x x x x

"Does it make you feel any better to know that things are not perfect for me?"

"No, it doesn't make me feel any better," Inuyasha mumbled between bites of food, "why would it?"

Sango almost said, _because of how things turned out with Kikyo,_ but quickly stopped herself. She quickly turned to a more neutral subject, "Haven't you eaten at all since I saw you last?"

Inuyasha momentarily stopped shoveling food into his mouth and glared at her.

Sango leaned back against the wall of the hut and watched as he quickly resumed his meal. The rough texture of the wood pricked her through her light summer clothing. It was not an unpleasant sensation and she arched her back into the wood. It was good to feel alive again. It seemed that time was not the only thing which could help with that flat emptiness of loss. Re-connecting with an old friend appeared to be as good a balm as any.

She laughed when he paused and flick a silver lock of hair out of the soup bowl. It felt nice to finally laugh without a bitter taste on her tongue. "I hope you'll stay, Inuyasha," she murmured.

And he did stay. Without Miroku around, she directed much of her attentions towards Inuyasha and Ayuko, who was a year and a half now. She offered him a fresh set of clothing while she mended his haori, but he refused.

She wondered about this and asked him about it sometime later as she watched Ayuko play in the wildflower meadow which grew at the outskirts of the village. She was busy pulling up grass and wildflowers by the handfuls.

"Is that the only article of clothing you own, Inuyasha? It's all that I've ever seen you wear."

"Yeah, so what." He was sitting with his hands tucked into his sleeves.

Sango thought about this for a moment, staring up at the cloudless sky. "Don't you have any, you know, possessions?"

Inuyasha didn't answer at first, but she could have sworn he looked uncharacteristically thoughtful for a moment. He reached gingerly into his haori and fished around until he produced two small items—what looked like a rose-colored ribbon and a feather. "I have these."

He held them out to her and she touched the feather. She was baffled. "It isn't much. I took this from Kagome's room one day when I was in her time. I didn't tell her I did it and I still don't know why I did." He caught the end of the ribbon and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger before he dropped it into his lap and picked up the feather. "This is from Kikyo." He twirled the tiny, white feather with his fingertips, "she must have found it when I took her for a walk in the forest. She always seemed more… coherent there. She gave it to me saying it reminded her of the color of my hair, or a cloud. She never could decide."

Sango didn't respond for some time. Inuyasha carefully placed his possessions back under his haori and stared silently off into the other direction.

"Maybe you should have something from me as well." She plucked a flower from in front of her and offered it to Inuyasha.

"As if that puny thing would last," he reached over and flicked it out of her hand.

"Ingrate," she teased, laughing now. "Alright then. I'll give you this." She reached around and pulled a small comb from her hair. Her dark hair tumbled down her shoulders in a shining mass. "Since you are an obviously a great collector of hair implements." She giggled again and her tinkling laugher drew Ayuko's attention, who came toddling over to investigate.

She stood, scooped up Ayuko and headed back towards the village. She glanced back before the village buildings blocked her view. Inuyasha hadn't moved from his spot. She watched him for a few moments, her eyes lingering on the way the wind tossed his hair.

x x x x

And still, he remained.

But he didn't say much, which made him an excellent listener. As an added plus, he was good with children. After all, children are impressed when someone is around, even if they don't do or say much.

Ayuko tugged and pulled at his haori constantly when he was in the hut and followed him around like a lost puppy.

He often retreated to a high branch in his 'adopted' tree when either Ayuko or Sango seemed to be demanding too much of his attention. On the night of the new moon, he received a break as well. Ayuko didn't recognize him with his dark hair and eyes and hid behind her mother, clutching her kimono and watching him with wide, frightened eyes.

"Miroku needs to get back and entertain his brat," he growled one evening after Ayuko had wiped a hand sticky with chicken grease on his pant leg.

Sango handed him a plate of food. "If he stays gone much longer, I'm going to teach Ayuko to call you Daddy."

Instead of the expected snort, he gave Sango a strange look. He raised the meat in his hand to his lips, but didn't take a bite.

"Heh," he finally snorted and began attacking his food with a vengeance.

After the meal, he scooped up Ayuko and carried her outside.

Sango followed them to the door and watched with a half-smile as Inuyasha held her underneath her chubby arms and swung her around gently. She squealed, waving her arms and kicking her legs in delight.

x x x x

A band of lower-level youkai was harassing a nearby village and Sango took this opportunity to practice her skills as a taijiya. After Ayuko was born, by necessity she had stayed close to home to care for her. With Miroku gone, she was limited in her time away. She had no desire to burden her cousins more than she had to, since they had families of their own.

The late summer sun baked the path in front of the two taijiya. But despite the sweat trickling down her back underneath her uniform, she was thrilled to be walking beside her younger brother. He was away so often now that she rarely got the chance to speak to him in any great length. He and Kirara were a 'team' now, since she was not as active a slayer as she once was. He now stood a head taller than Sango, but his most notable feature was his ever-present serious expression.

"You're away so often now, I hardly recognize you, Kohaku." Sango shifted the Hiraikotsu on her back. She could not seem to get comfortable. Much to Kirara's dismay, she had been left behind since it was such a short trip. The weapon that was currently pinching her shoulder made her wish the fire-cat had accompanied them after all.

"I know I'm not home much, but you remember how things were when you were young," he added quickly, "I mean before you were married and Ayuko came along."

"I've gotten so old, haven't I? You might have to carry me the rest of the way," she teased, feigning a limping gait.

Kohaku reddened. She chuckled and patted him on the arm. "Let's go kill some evil youkai. I'll show you what an 'old lady' can do."

Her younger brother smiled down at her and she felt the day couldn't get any better. "Why don't you tell me of some of your recent battles, Kohaku?"

The two of them passed the late summer day comparing battle stories and by the time they arrived at the village they were in high spirits. It was difficult to keep the smile off of her face as she entered the village. She felt vaguely guilty as she surveyed the frightened faces of the villagers.

There were no surprises when the youkai attacked. The bird of prey youkai swooped down, lured to a spot near the village by bait. They were neither highly intelligent nor much of a challenge for the two experienced taijiya. To liven things up a bit when a few of the birds fled, they hatched a plan to have Sango pretend to be badly injured in order to lure them out again.

It worked. As Sango lay sweating in the late afternoon sun, she caught sight of one of the birds in the air to her left. More quickly than she anticipated, it was diving for her prone form. She scrambled up, hauling her Hiraikotsu in front of her to repel the vicious attack.

A red and white blur shot forward and leapt at the bird. Her vision was obscured for a moment by a whirl of feathers and she huddled behind her Hiraikotsu for protection.

_Kohaku, where are you?_ A cold dread filled her mind and she rushed forward blindly.

A pair of strong arms gripped her from behind, pinning her in a vice-like grip. She kicked wildly, trying to escape. "Kohaku," she screamed.

"Sango, what the hell are you doing?"

She looked up to see Kohaku standing in front of her, his kusari-gama blade dangling at his knees.

"Let me go," she spat, feeling foolish and wanting to lash out.

When she was released, she turned and found herself staring into a pair of amused yellow eyes. "Inuyasha," she growled out, trying to piece together exactly what had transpired, "what are you doing here?"

"I just saved your ass, that's what." His tone was rough but he shifted his feet and lowered his eyes.

"You just," she sputtered angrily, "you what? I didn't need your help, you moron."

"Well then what the hell were you doing lying there on the ground then," he stepped forward, practically yelling in her face now.

The sound of laughter surprised them both. Kohaku placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "You should thank him. We needed something to liven up that slaughter."

He started walking back in the direction of the village, "Come on you two, it's getting dark."

Sango turned and gave Inuyasha a dark look as she stomped off after Kohaku. He watched her until her silhouette disappeared over the rise, chuckling when he noticed the stiffness in her posture. Even he had to admit that she was attractive when she was angry.

x x x x

Sango's family did not think too highly of Inuyasha staying with her, but by this time, she was used to it. She'd like to think she had learned something from her experience with Miroku.

Miroku flirted and she knew this. It appeared to be the only way he was able to communicate with the female sex, especially the attractive ones. When he acted this way around her family, they were always up in arms and did not hesitate to let Sango know it.

Though she knew that Miroku meant no harm, she couldn't help but be a little angry with him as well, but for slightly different reasons. Her life should have been perfect at this point. She had her family back and she had Miroku. But he could not seem to get along with her family. She was always given an earful when this occurred.

"_I still can't understand why you brought him into this family. You had so many other fine prospects," Sachi barked at her from the doorway of her hut. _

Sango rolled her eyes and turned to face her cousin, "But I love him. Isn't that what matters?"

"You would be better off if you'd let your father have some say."

"Won't you come in," Sango asked, trying to change the subject.

"I just came to tell you what he said to Kaori before you heard it from someone else..."

Kada already beat you to it, Sango thought irritably. Why couldn't Miroku just act… normal, the way her family did? After Suki left, she searched out Miroko with her fists balled tightly at her sides. She was shaking slightly by the time she found him. He should have been used to her temper by now and she didn't really bother holding back.

So when Kohaku gave Inuyasha a dark look, she took him aside and firmly explained that the hanyou was a friend and here to stay, at least until he decided to leave. She understood now why it was when a young woman married, she often left her family. The newly married couple had to find their own lives together.

Still… given the circumstances this was impossible. Sango had lost her family once and she was not about to leave them. Miroku had his father back now and she assumed he understood.

"I didn't choose my family over Miroku," she told Inuyasha, "but I suspect he feels differently."

Inuyasha grunted and shifted on the tree branch above her. He didn't seem to be listening, but she talked to him anyway since there was no one else who could even begin to understand.

"He doesn't stay very long when he visits, at any rate."

Inuyasha plucked a twig off of a tree branch near his head and used it to scratch his back.

"Last time he was here, he brought his father with him. He's a different person when he's around his father. He acts even more carefree, if you can imagine that, but he's more humble than I've ever seen him, and he's quiet. His father does most of the talking."

Inuyasha was now using the twig to clean the dirt from underneath his toenails.

She picked up a small rock off the ground and tossed it up at him. "Why don't you groom yourself some other time, Inuyasha? That's just disgusting."

When he didn't respond, she looked around for another rock. Kicking aside a pile of dead leaves she continued cheerfully, "He hasn't been home since Ayuko was six months old, so I'm sure he'll be coming back soon. I'm surprised he's stayed away as long as he has. He's assisting his father in the temple restoration, which is turning out to be more work than he anticipated. He misses Ayuko terribly. You know how he is about children, always asking someone to bear his child." Sango chuckled a little at the memory.

Inuyasha's twig landed at her feet and he grumbled, "Of course I remember. That pervert asked every girl and woman in every village we came across, some of them more than once. Probably still does it."

It was Sango's turn to be silent. She stood there a moment with her jaw clenched, wishing she'd found another rock. She turned and stepped on the twig and it snapped in two with a satisfying crack.

An unexpected breeze lifted her hair and he was there, just inches from her face.

"What's wrong, what do you expect?" His voice was a rough growl. "We all fought together. You, me, Miroku," he hesitated for a moment, but when he continued his voice was softer, "none of us were saints, we weren't perfect, but at least we were loyal to one another."

His claws were suddenly pricking into her forearm and she stared down at his hand as he gripped her arm, bewildered. She had raised her hand to strike him without being conscious of her action. When she glanced back up at his face, she saw no anger there. Her shoulders slumped and she sighed.

"Don't try that again."

"What, afraid it might hurt?" She smirked at him and he let go of her arm. "At least I know that you were actually listening. I had to wonder there when you started picking your nose."

"Listen bitch, I've been accused of many things, but you leave me with no choice." He shoved her aside and picked up a rock.

"Where did you find that?" she asked in an awed voice.

"Run," he growled out. "I'll give you to ten, just to be fair."

"You've got to be joking."

"One, two, three…"

And she ran. At seven she felt a sharp pain on the back of her thigh. She stopped running and stomped back through the dead leaves toward him. "You said I had until ten," she complained. "You can get your own dinner tonight, Inuyasha."

He began shuffling around again and plucked up another, even larger rock. "It's going to take a lot of rocks to drive you off, but I'm lucky that there seems to be an endless supply around here."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would dare. You'd better get back home and cook me that dinner you were just talking about." He continued his search and pocketed yet another rock.

He was not surprised when he felt her approaching from behind, but didn't leap out of the way. A second later, a surprisingly heavy blow from behind knocked him to his knees and he tumbled forward.

"Un," Sango grunted as she slammed into him. She had expected Inuyasha to evade her headlong rush and was caught by surprise as she tumbled over him and landed in a heap on the forest floor. Before she had time to recover, however, the world was spinning again and he had her pinned beneath him.

Shaking her head to reorient herself, she felt his hot breath against her cheek and realized that his face had to be only mere inches away from her own. It felt awkward being so close and squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to meet his gaze.

He growled under his breath and it ruffled her hair. "What exactly were you trying to do, break your neck?" His voice sounded rough, but not angry.

Feeling suddenly foolish, she opened her eyes. But she had never been this close to Inuyasha before. His golden eyes burned with a strange intensity. She shivered. Never before had he seemed more inhuman to her, or more predatory. She felt smothered by his presence. He merely held her wrists. She was not truly trapped beneath him, but her body remained tense and refused to respond to her silent commands. In the back of her mind, she knew she should be ashamed of her panic. She'd been trained to act in all sorts of threatening situations, yet something as simple as this held her all but captive. Her throat felt dry and she licked her lips.

The quick movement attracted his attention and he glanced down at her moistened lips. Ever so slowly, he leaned toward her. He hesitated momentarily and then he began to trace her lips with the tip of his tongue.

Sango lay there in complete shock.

He released her wrists as his tongue tickled the sensitive flesh of her lips. Soon, he pressed his tongue against them more firmly, dipping forward until his lips came in contact with hers. This seemed to shred the last vestiges of his control and his lips came down on hers in a bruising kiss. She gasped in surprise and he took advantage of her parted lips to explore her mouth with his tongue.

As his tongue moved over hers, she felt herself pulling him closer, wrapping her arms around him without a second thought. She tentatively pressed her tongue against his and they melted together in a rush of heat.

Her first rational thought was, _Inuyasha's tongue is in my mouth._ And the next was, _his skin feel so smooth, _as she hastily pushed the material of his haori out of the way.

A part of her was disappointed when rational thought finally returned to her. _What the hell am I doing? I'm married to Miroku. _She pulled back from the kiss and whispered, "Inuyasha".

But as she gazed into his lust-clouded eyes, she found herself leaning up to meet his lips again.

Before she could close the distance, there was a flurry of movement which left only a cool space where his warm body had been. "Inuyasha," she whispered again, but he was gone.

x x x x

The next night, she had a dream. She was wandering in a forest and the sky overhead was a bleak, pale color of grey. She heard noises to her left and followed them. There in front of her stood Edo, except its buildings and huts were crumbling and decrepit. She walked through the village and stopped in front of a home which she didn't recognize, but something inside of her told her that she should.

She walked inside and there was a welcoming fire, despite its barren appearance. A woman was sitting near the fire. Sango could see that she had fine robes and long, black hair, but her face was hidden in shadow.

"Inuyasha's not here," she said, startling Sango.

"Why don't you sit? I think he would like it. You are his wife, after all."

Sango sat and shook her head. Her mind was a tangle of confused thoughts. _Why would she never visit the home of her husband?_

The image of Miroku's face flashed before her mind's eye. _Oh yes, I remember now. I've been with Miroku. But how could I marry him and then forget? Why would I leave him? _A feeling of loss and guilt overwhelmed her and she hung her head.

When she looked up, the woman was gone and the fire was cold. None of this made any sense. How could she marry someone and forget? Confusion and guilt whirled through her mind and she felt hot tears on her cheeks.

She opened her eyes then and realized she was in her own hut with Ayuko sleeping soundly beside her. _None of that was real, _she thought with slight relief. When she brushed her still-wet cheek, she realized that that was not exactly true. Her tears were all too real.

x x x x

She was not surprised when she caught sight of Miroku and his father walking up the path to the village. Somehow, she had known he was coming soon. A persistent wind blew from the direction the two men were coming from and it caused her unbound hair to whip against her face. The wind was surprisingly warm despite the coming winter.

She waved her hand in the air. The two men waved back.

Inuyasha was leaning against a tree near Sango when Miroku and his father arrived. Miroku pulled a doll from his clothing and yelled, "where's Ayuko?"

"Asleep," Sango answered simply and was pulled into his arms. He nuzzled her neck playfully, tightening his grip on her waist.

"Missed you." He leaned back and smiled at her, his violet eyes twinkling. She smiled back and realized she was crying.

She heard what sounded like a low growl coming from behind her.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku looked up surprised. His father stepped forward with a wary look in his eye.

Miroku released her and bounded over to the tree where Inuyasha stood, "Inuyasha, my friend, it's been a long time."

She turned to see Inuyasha glaring silently at Miroku. She felt a movement to her right and looked up to see Miroku's father standing beside her. He watched the hanyou and his son with narrowed eyes. Her stomach began twisting into knots and she suddenly wished she were someplace else.

Miroku laughed and poked his staff towards the hanyou. "You'd better have taken good care of my Ayuko and Sango while I was gone or I'll beat you with this."

Inuyasha's face tightened up and he bared his teeth. It took Sango a moment to realize that he was smiling.

Miroku seemed to take great pleasure in introducing him to his father. They headed towards the hut, discussing a battle from the old days.

Sango let her shoulder's relax and she let out a long sigh. Feeling the light touch of fingers against her arm and she realized Miroku's father was still beside her. He gave her a bewildered look.

"It's good to have you two back," she whispered happily and she embraced him.

Later that evening, Ayuko sat on her father's leg playing with her doll. Apparently, his ability to charm was not limited to full-grown women.

"I'll be staying for a year," he announced as he smiled proudly down at the little girl. "Can't miss watching my little girl grow up. Can't miss the others either, mind you." He gave Sango a wink.

"After that, I'd like it if you'd come back with us for some time," he said, "it will only be for a year or so, and then we can come back to the village to stay."

Sango hugged him tightly. This was what she'd been hoping for. She didn't notice that Inuyasha was leaving until Miroku called after him, "aren't you going to wait for dinner?" He didn't answer.

"Not hungry, I guess." Miroku shrugged and turned his attention back to Ayuko.

x x x x

It was not long after that that Inuyasha left them. She awoke one morning to find him gone.

"He said he was leaving," Miroku informed her groggily.

She had grown accustomed to waking to the sight of him sitting at the table. He was always on time for breakfast.

_He didn't tell me goodbye._ For some reason this thought made her stomach clench painfully. She rushed out the door to look for him. The morning air chilled her bare legs and feet as she ran across the grass towards his favorite tree.

"Inuyasha," she called up into the darkness of the upper branches of the tree. "Inuyasha?"

There was no answer. He was truly gone.

Sango took the time to take several deep breaths of the crisp morning air before she turned away. Silently she walked back into the hut to begin preparations for the morning meal.

_AN: Reviews and constructive criticism encouraged._


End file.
